A Rochester man has been arrested following a months-long investigation into threatening and obsessive messages sent to a former classmate at Finger Lakes Community College.
According to the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, 19-year-old Shawn Whitaker was taken into custody on November 25 in the City of Rochester. He is charged with tampering with physical evidence, third-degree stalking, second-degree aggravated harassment, and second-degree criminal impersonation.
Deputies say that between July and November 2025, Whitaker sent hundreds of messages to the victim, many of them threatening in nature. Despite being expelled from Finger Lakes Community College, he continued to contact the victim.
Investigators also report that Whitaker created a fake email account posing as a college staff member in an attempt to lure the victim back to campus. He is additionally accused of deleting digital evidence connected to the case.
Whitaker was transported to the Ontario County Jail for pre-arraignment detention and is scheduled to appear in Hopewell Town Court at a later date.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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